By Srian Obeyesekere
Middle order batsman Saud Shakeel struck a career best unbeaten 208 as Pakistan piled up 461 with its middle order and tail putting the Sri Lankan attack to the sword as the tourists took a box seat 151-run first innings lead which the hosts had cut down to 135 responding with 14 for no loss with Nishan Madushka on 8 and Dimuth Karunaratne 6 at stumps on the third day of the first Test match at the Galle International Stadium as Dimuth Karunaratne and company for once found a usually favourable Galle track pointing daggers at them.
Indeed, the Lankans would be smarting at the manner in which found Karunaratne’s charges looking down the barrel from a once strong position of having Pakistan on the hop on 101 for 5 to Babar Azam’s descending from behind to dictating terms with the sixth-wicket pair of Shekeel and Agha Salman, who swung the game their way yesterday extend their overnight 120-run partnership by a further 51 runs. The partnership was broken by Ramesh Mendis who had him stumped by Sadeera Samarawickrama. Salman’s 113-ball knock containing 9 boundaries and a six was followed by Shakeel’s run orgy as the 27-year old left hander went on to pummel the Lankan attack enriching his magical 200 milestone consuming 361 balls with a further 14 boundaries to the 5 the previous day when he hauled his side out of trouble to riding high finishing unconquered. It was his second test century in his sixth appearance fronted by a run aggregate of 580 with a previous highest of 125 not out with 5 half centuries.
The most productive partnership of the day was the 94 Shakeel forged with Naseem Shah whose contribution was only 10 off 12 with a boundary and six before Mendis bowled him as the right-arm off spinner ended with a 5-wicket haul for 136 off a marathon 42.2 overs accounting for 4 of the 5 wickets that fell today with pacer Vishwa Fernando accounting for the other.
CHIEF SCORES:
Sri Lanka 312 (95.2 Overs)
(Dhananjaya de Silva 122, Angelo Mathews 64, Sadeera Samarawickrama 36, Dimuth Karunaratne 29, Vishwa Fernando not out 21, Abrar Ahmed 3/68, Shaheen Shah Afridi 3/86, Naseem Shah 3/90, Agha Salman 1/18)
And 14/0 (3.4 Overs) (Nishan Madushka n.o. 8, Dimuth Karunaratne n.o. 6)
Pakistan 221/5 overnight, 461 (121.2 Overs)
(Saud Shakeel n.o. 208, Agha Salman 83, Noman Ali 25, Abrar Ahmed 10, Shan Masood 39, Sarfaraz Ahmed 17, Babar Azam 13, Ramesh Mendis 5/136 42.2, Prabath Jayasuriya 3/145 35, Vishwa Fernando 1/69, Kasun Rajitha 1/77)
